


The Most Unexpected of Cupids

by Dracothelizard



Category: Horrible Histories
Genre: Fluff, Lighthearted, M/M, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 03:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dracothelizard/pseuds/Dracothelizard
Summary: Written for the HHanon kinkmeme back in 2011.Prompt:  Other/Other + Other, "So, have you kissed him yet?"Two people are obviously just skirting the edges of being a couple but haven't quite got there yet (and, perhaps, don't look like they're going to get there any time soon.) Another person is getting absurdly annoyed with this and decides to stage a intervention, possibly containing that line in the title.(Filled as George IV/Beau, with George III)





	The Most Unexpected of Cupids

George sighs, and glances at Beau, who is straightening his sleeves.   
  
"Is my cravat all right?" Beau asks, anxiously.  
  
"He won't even notice you're wearing a cravat," George grumbles, and he rolls his eyes. "He probably won't even notice you're human."  
  
Beau bites his lip. "It's your father. It's the _King_! What if I make a bad impression, Georgie?"  
  
"You won't," George assures him. " _Everybody_ loves you, Beau. You're, like, the most stylish, fashionable man in Britain!" He still doesn't entirely know why Beau likes him, apart from George being the Prince, but that doesn't entirely explain why Beau beams at him, genuinely smiling and happy.   
  
"Thanks, Georgie, you always know how to make me feel better." Beau looks at him, then frowns and brushes something off George's shoulder. "Just a little, er, dust there," he says.  
  
George smiles in gratitude, and then his dad enters the room.  
  
"Ah, George, my boy!" his father greets him jovially, then turns to Beau. "And this must be your good friend, Mr. Brummel. Delighted. Delighted. And what do you do?"   
  
Beau stares at him. "I, er, I'm a dandy," he says. "I don't really do anything."  
  
The King just smiles at him, and nods. "Splendid! Well done, must be very hard work." He turns to George. "Tea, my boy?"   
  
George nods. His father is clearly having a good day.

*

George asks Beau over for tea more often, and always tries to avoid Beau meeting his father. It's embarrassing, not just because his father is a bit mad, but because it's even _worse_ when the King isn't.   
  
Because that's when he actually tries to _talk_ to Beau.  
  
George is stirring his tea while his father and Beau talk about the army, Beau talking about the uniforms and how they could be better, and the King nods along.   
  
"You make some excellent points, young Beau," the King says. "I daresay you'll make some lady a fine husband."  
  
"Dad!" George bursts out. Ugh, it is so _embarrassing_ when his father brings up marriage and women. What did he know?  
  
Beau glances at George. "It's all right, Georgie," he says, patting George on the knee. Then he smiles and turns to the King. "I'm not planning on any of that, as it happens, Sire."   
  
"You're not?" the King asks, and he raises an eyebrow. "Well. Well well well." He sips from his tea. "Perhaps you're right. Women, who needs 'em, eh?"   
  
As his father laughs, and Beau joins in politely, George just rolls his eyes. He _hates_ it when his dad is trying to talk along with his friends. As if his father has _any_ idea what it's like being young.  
  
"To the company of men," Beau says, and he raises his tea cup.  
  
"Yes, splendid!" the King raises his own cup. "And to the company of good friends. Which I do hope you will be for my boy."   
  
George is forced to raise his cup as well, and toasts. "To good friends," he says, and he shares a smile with Beau.

*

George has been lying on bed all day. He's not coming out of his room _ever_ again. Ever. He's already told the servants to bring supper to his room when it's time.   
  
He can't believe Beau was so rude to Frances at the party yesterday. George likes Frances, she's pretty and charming, and can actually hold a conversation about art.   
  
Yesterday evening, the two of them were having a very nice talk about the various paintings in the palace when Beau suddenly came between them, pushing Frances to one side with a snide remark over the colour of her dress.   
  
Frances, understandably, walked swiftly off, and George hadn't managed to speak to her again that evening. By means of revenge, George refused to talk Beau.   
  
That should show him for humiliating George so completely.  
  
It also means that today, George is stuck in his bedroom. Earlier a servant brought up a note saying that Beau was waiting to talk to him, and that he would wait all day if necessary.   
  
George fully intends to make Beau wait the entire day, because he is _not_ coming out to that stupid thickwig.  
  
There's a knock on the door. "Go away!"   
  
"George, it's your father."   
  
George glares at the door. He wants to tell his dad to go away, but he can't really. "Are you alone?"  
  
"Yes. Can I come in?"  
  
"Fine," George huffs, and gets off bed to sit on a chair. "If you must."   
  
His dad walks in, and smiles. "You're keeping your good friend waiting."   
  
"Whatever," George replies. He doesn't care about Beau.   
  
"He's upset," his father says. "He won't tell me what happened, but he told me to tell you he's very sorry." He smiles. "For whatever it is he did."  
  
George pulls at a loose string of the sofa cushion. "Is he?" Because, well, he can probably accept an apology. He _is_ a Prince, after all.   
  
The King nods. "Yes. And I suspect he really isn't planning on leaving until he has seen you. So, please, son, give him a minute?"   
  
He hates it when his dad is right. "Fine, I'll see him. But _only_ a minute!"  
  
One minute turns into an hour, because Beau's apology is lengthy, and he promises to apologise to Frances. They end up sharing a laugh over what some of the other party guests were wearing, and how some people _really_ shouldn't wear burgundy.

*

Tea with dad is, unfortunately, sometimes unavoidable, but George knows he can rely on Beau to make those afternoons bearable. The two of them talk amongst themselves, while his father quietly looks out the window at the gardens, and happily sips his tea.   
  
"So I told her, I did, I told her that she _really_ couldn't bring a fan like that to a civilised party," Beau tells him, leaning closer to him on the sofa they're sharing.  
  
George is grinning. He's not allowed to go to all the parties Beau frequents, but he loves hearing the stories. "And?" he asks.   
  
Beau smiles. "I threw her fan in the fire there and then!" They both laugh, George almost doubles over and has to lean on Beau's shoulder as he catches his breath.  
  
"You are unbelievable, Beau," he manages.  
  
Beau beams down at him and pats him on the back. "Are you all right, Georgie?"   
  
"I will be," George says, and sits up again. He looks up to see his dad looking at them, smiling benignly. "What is it, dad?"   
  
"Oh, nothing," the King replies, still with that ridiculous smirk. "Just wondering when I should be planning the wedding."  
  
That makes very little sense, even for his father. "What're you _talking_ about, dad? I'm not getting married!" Oh, God, was his dad arranging a marriage? He shoots Beau a worried glance. "Am I?" With his luck, he'd end up married to a potted plant.   
  
Beau looks anxious as well. "Your Majesty? Are you -" he gulps. "Are you making arrangements for dear Georgie?" He puts one hand on George's knee, and George grabs that hand in a tight embrace, slightly assured when Beau squeezes back.   
  
The King just smiles at them, and laughs. "For the two of you, of course!"   
  
George stares at him. "What?"   
  
"For you and Beau! I think you make a delightful couple." His father sips from his tea. "Congratulations, George."  
  
George rolls his eyes and sighs. " _Dad_ , don't be stupid. Beau and I aren't getting married! We're two men! We _can't_ get married if we wanted to. Which we don't, because it's not like we love each other." He gives Beau a quick smile. "Well, as friends, eh, Beau?"   
  
Beau looks up from where their hands are joined, and he gives George a smile. "Right."   
  
George turns back to his father. "Just because you never had a good friend, dad, doesn't mean I can't."   
  
The King calmly sips from his tea, and looks at Beau. "Right you are, son. Right you are."

*

"Shall we go to the library, Beau?" George asks, once they've finished their tea. "I've got this _amazing_ painting, it's a landscape by Hobbema and you're going to _love_ it. I haven't shown it to anyone else. Well, to dad, obviously, but he won't appreciate it like you do." At least Beau will have something more intelligent to say than that the weather looks nice on the painting.   
  
Beau nods. "In a bit, Georgie." He glances at the King. "There was something I wanted to talk about with your father."  
  
George snorts. "You want to talk to _dad_?" he asks.   
  
"Yeah, it's about, er, a book he mentioned," Beau says, looking down at his tea. "Right, Sire?"  
  
The King stares at him for a moment. "I love books," he declares. "They're nice."   
  
George sighs, and looks at Beau. "He's got one of his moments again." He can see that Beau is determined to attempt the conversation regardless, so he stands up. "You know where the library is, see you in a bit."  
  
"I'll be along soon, Georgie," Beau tells him as George closes the door behind him.  
  
*

George smiles as he looks at the magnificent landscape. The way the sunlight is captured on the leaves is stunning, and the clouds are beautiful, looking as they're about to drift off slowly in the summer breeze. He has no artistic talent himself, but he can appreciate the brilliant use of light and shadow to evoke the feeling of a wonderful summer day. He's going to have to get more paintings by Hobbema, the man's an underappreciated genius.  
  
"Georgie?"   
  
"Ah, finally managed to escape my dad, did you?" George says, and Beau closes the door behind him. He smiles. "Was he talking about beef trees again?"   
  
Beau shakes his head, and walks over to George. He looks unusually serious, and takes George's hand in his own. "No, your father seemed fine."   
  
George smiles, and points at the painting. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life, Beau?" he says, sighing a little. "It's absolutely stunning."  
  
"It is," Beau says, and he places another hand on George's, enveloping it between Beau's own. "Georgie, dear?"   
  
"What is it, Beau?" George asks.   
  
"Can you - can you look at me? I have something important to say."   
  
George tears his eyes away from the painting. "Is it bad news?" he asks. Beau doesn't look this serious unless it's very bad news. "Are you ill? Are you _dying_?" Oh God, Beau is dying. He's finally found the best friend a man could ask for, and he's dying. "Beau, please, you'll have the best doctors money could buy! I'll take care of you myself!" He hates sick people, but Beau deserves the best care.  
  
Beau just smiles, and shakes his head. "I'm fine, Georgie," he says fondly, and squeezes George's hand. "Really."  
  
"Oh, thank God." Relief floods through his body. "Then what is it?"

Beau hesitates. "What your father said earlier. About us - loving each other..."   
  
George snorts. "Oh, Beau, you have to ignore him when he says that sort of thing! It's like his plan to grow a beef tree, completely mad." He shakes his head, and when he looks up, expecting to find Beau smiling along with him, Beau looks completely crushed.  
  
"Oh," Beau says, and lets go of George's hand, clasping them behind his back instead.   
  
"What?" George asks, frowning. "What's wrong?"  
  
Beau looks down, and sighs. "I didn't think it was completely mad," he mumbles.  
  
George blinks. Then he blinks again. No, Beau is still standing in front of him looking utterly nervous. "What?" he manages, in a worryingly high squeak.   
  
"Georgie - George," Beau says, and he looks up again. George is taken aback to see tears in his eyes. "I love you."   
  
"I'm - right." George stumbles back. He needs to sit down, and his hands find a sofa and he lowers himself on it. "You. Quite. You love me." He can't believe it.  
  
Beau hurries over, kneeling in front of him. "Have I upset you, Georgie?" he asks, anxious. "Please don't be upset. I'm sorry, I'll leave, you won't have to see me again, just don't be upset!"   
  
The thought of never seeing Beau again makes George look at his friend. "Don't go," he says. "Don't ever go." If Beau leaves him, _he'll_ be the one who goes mad.   
  
Beau smiles a little. "I'll do whatever you want," he says. He reaches out to hold George's hand, anxiously looking for a reaction. "George?"   
  
George can't stop staring at him. God, how has he missed _that_? Beau is the most amazing man he's ever known, the best friend he's ever had. And for some reason, this handsome, clever man is in love with him. It's unbelievable. "Beau," he says. His mouth is dry, but he has to get the words out. "I think I love you too." Because that fluttery feeling in his stomach can't be anything else.  
  
Beau lets out a surprised gasp, and then a happy shriek. "Georgie!" he shouts, leaning forward to hug him. "I didn't think," he says, and kisses George's cheek. "I can't believe you do!" He places more kisses on George's cheek, each one closer to his mouth.  
  
George has never been a patient man, so he closes that final gap to kiss Beau firmly. "Hang on," he says, when he pulls back and Beau is beaming at him like it's his birthday and the New Year all at once. "Is this what you wanted to talk about to my dad?"  
  
"I - yes," Beau says, and blushes. "He said I should tell you how I felt."   
  
George closes his eyes and groans. "I cannot _believe_ I have to be grateful to him," he mutters.  
  
Beau grins, and leans closer. "Let me cheer you up, Georgie."  
  
George smiles back. Beau has always been very good at that, and he thinks this will lead to even more ways in which Beau can make him feel better.


End file.
